Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1217

The Descent of the Demon Lord – Volume 50 (1)

1. Tumult (1)

Let’s imagine the highest mountain in the world.

Now, picture splitting the highest peak of that mountain in half, and then standing below, looking up.

What would you see?

You wouldn’t see anything.

The human eye can’t perceive its end. Even if you clear away the clouds and calm the swirling winds, the peak remains beyond the grasp of human vision.

You would only recognize its despairing height and immensity.

The summit of the mountain captured by a camera is simply beautiful.

However, when you see that mountain with your own eyes, you realize the true scale and enormity of what you are witnessing.

Just like Cai Kecheng now.

“Failure?”

Cai Kecheng lowered his head even further.

It’s a strange thing.

He manipulates the world within his mind. His intellect is undoubtedly one of the most powerful forces in existence. Yet, Cai Kecheng is now bowing deeply, his head touching the floor, showing the utmost respect to his opponent.

However, he doesn’t feel any humiliation.

Humiliation is a feeling reserved for those on the same level. A child doesn’t feel humiliated when bowing to an adult. A dog doesn’t feel humiliated when showing its belly to a human.

To Cai Kecheng, the Hong King was such a being.

Someone whose status and mind are immeasurable. Something metaphysical, forged with greatness and adorned with power.

What hesitation would there be in bowing to such a being?

“The word ‘failure’ wouldn’t be appropriate, Cai Kecheng.”

The Hong King’s booming voice pressed down on Cai Kecheng.

“Failure is what someone who aimed for success says. You didn’t aim for success in the first place. Isn’t that right?”

“You are correct, Hong King.”

Cai Kecheng replied, sweating profusely.

“I didn’t believe that this plan would kill Kang Jin-ho, but I thought it would deal a significant blow to them. That’s why I dared to use the organization’s resources and manpower.

Yet, I failed to produce results.”

Cai Kecheng, licking his parched lips, cried out bitterly.

“Please punish me! If I had focused on others instead of Kang Jin-ho, I might have been able to inflict damage on them. This is clearly my miscalculation.”

“A miscalculation…”

The Hong King unfolded his crossed legs.

His massive body moved. The fact that he, who had never changed his posture, was moving clearly had significance.

After the battle with Kang Jin-ho, the Hong King had forgotten about the invasion and had been frozen here like a statue to reach a new realm of martial arts. Now, the Hong King was breaking that seal.

“That’s not it.”

Thud!

His foot touched the ground.

“You knew that they couldn’t do anything to Kang Jin-ho. Then why did you waste your forces trying to kill Kang Jin-ho?”

Cai Kecheng couldn’t answer and lowered his head.

“Because you were afraid.”

“That’s right.”

“Because you were afraid of Kang Jin-ho?”

“Yes, Hong King!”

“Hahahaha!”

The Hong King burst into laughter. But the laughter was somewhat suppressed. It was slightly twisted rather than joyful.

“Cai Kecheng.”

“Yes, Hong King!”

“You’re making me miserable.”

The Hong King rose from his throne. As he stood up, wearing his golden dragon robe, it was as if the world held its breath.

A king.

He was truly a king.

A being who could make the world submit with his majesty and shake the heavens with a mere gesture.

He was the king.

“The reason you were afraid of Kang Jin-ho wasn’t because you were afraid of losing your life to him! It was because you were afraid that I, this Hong King, wouldn’t be able to defeat Kang Jin-ho and would lose my life to him. Isn’t that so?”

“Th, that’s not…”

“Do you intend to lie to me?”

Cai Kecheng shut his mouth.

Cai Kecheng, who couldn’t say anything and was trembling, buried his head in the ground.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Cai Kecheng, who had slammed his head into the ground three times in a row, cried out, bleeding from his forehead.

“Please kill me!”

The Hong King quietly shook his head.

“It’s sad. A monarch who cannot inspire faith in his subordinates. That must be my current situation.”

The Hong King raised one hand.

His hand, covered by the sleeve of his dragon robe, was revealed. A flawless, snow-white hand. It was a hand so soft and beautiful that it was hard to believe it belonged to a martial artist.

“Cai Kecheng.”

“Yes, Hong King!”

“Look at me.”

Cai Kecheng cautiously raised his head. Then, he made eye contact with the Hong King.

“You don’t need to worry anymore.”

Cai Kecheng’s eyes trembled.

“All your worries and anxieties were caused by my weakness. That’s why I didn’t blame you. The reason a strategist uses tricks and makes unreasonable plans is not because they don’t trust themselves, but because they don’t trust the power of their forces. A strategist with absolute power simply pushes forward with a straightforward approach and takes everything, isn’t that so?”

“…You are absolutely right.”

“Find yourself again, Cai Kecheng!”

Cai Kecheng’s body shook as if struck by lightning.

“I will not be defeated anymore. I will not waver anymore. I have transcended myself and been reborn as myself. All the martial arts in the world will bow before me, and all the martial artists in the world will not dare to discuss martial arts in my presence.”

A terrifying aura emanated from the Hong King’s body.

Like a storm, yet gentle. It was truly the aura of a monarch.

‘He has transcended.’

Cai Kecheng knew.

The reason the Hong King had secluded himself was because he had realized something from his fight with Kang Jin-ho. It was incredibly difficult for a martial artist of the Hong King’s caliber to grasp a fragment of enlightenment.

But it wasn’t always a good thing.

Historically, how many martial artists had failed and collapsed while trying to overcome their limits after entering enlightenment? Raising one’s realm is like climbing a steep cliff with bare hands.

If you succeed, you become stronger, but if you fail, you lose everything and fall.

But the Hong King had overcome that danger and finally reached a new realm.

“Congratulations on your great achievement!”

The Hong King nodded.

“There’s no need to blame yourself. The mistakes of subordinates are my mistakes. All of that happened because I was weak. But it’s not the case anymore. I have gained the power to change the world. Whether it’s another king or that Kang Jin-ho, I will not be defeated anymore!”

The Hong King had never been defeated by Kang Jin-ho.

Strictly speaking, that match was a victory for the Hong King. If the battle had continued, it would have been Kang Jin-ho who would have died.

But the Hong King was admitting defeat himself.

Just by fighting someone on equal terms, the Hong King felt that he had lost. It was a self-esteem so high that it was awe-inspiring.

Thud! Thud!

The Hong King began to descend the steps in front of the throne. His footsteps continued and stopped right in front of Cai Kecheng.

“Now, I need the real you.”

“…Hong King.”

“Cast off your fear and look at reality with a cold eye. Understand my strength and engrave it in your mind. Then, you will see a different world.”

As the Hong King said, Cai Kecheng looked straight at the Hong King.

Incomprehensible.

He could not understand or measure it. It was just vast and vast.

“I have engraved it, Hong King.”

“Good!”

The Hong King unleashed his aura from his entire body.

“A king is one who refines his own qualities, and a subject is one who places his king on the throne. Cai Kecheng, prepare a way to take their heads! The other three kings who rule the world. The Chang King! The Heuk King! And… the Demon King!”

It was obvious that the Demon King referred to Kang Jin-ho.

“I will punish those who confuse the world with their delusions and establish the right principles. I will no longer hesitate. I will defeat them all and bring peace to the world.”

“If that is what the Hong King desires, it will surely be so!”

“Hmm.”

The Hong King turned around. Then, he slowly walked back towards the throne.

Watching his back, Cai Kecheng’s eyes were filled with emotion.

‘This is a monarch.’

Even Cai Kecheng, who held the world in his head and manipulated it, was reduced to a tearful old man by the majesty of a monarch. Those who have not experienced it, cannot understand it, those who have not felt it, cannot accept it.

How can those who have not seen a true monarch dare to discuss a monarch?

“So…”

At that moment, the Hong King stopped walking.

“Is Kang Jin-ho safe?”

“…I heard he was injured, but it doesn’t seem to be a big problem.”

“I see.”

The Hong King nodded.

At that moment, Cai Kecheng understood.

‘His presence is huge.’

In the Hong King’s heart, Kang Jin-ho’s presence was greater than that of the Chang King or the Heuk King.

It was clear that he was the most insignificant in terms of his abilities and power, but for the Hong King, Kang Jin-ho had a special meaning.

Then what should he do?

“Hong King.”

Cai Kecheng bowed his head.

“In terms of strategy, the one we should be dealing with is the Chang King. But if the Hong King desires…”

“Foolish one.”

The Hong King waved his hand.

“How can someone swayed by personal feelings discuss a king? How can they bring peace to the world? What I want is a way to pacify the world, not a way to resolve my personal grudges!”

“I was foolish!”

Cai Kecheng slammed his head on the floor.

“Step back. And ponder with all your might. A way to pacify the world!”

“Yes!”

Cai Kecheng crawled backward and left the great hall.

Click.

Cai Kecheng, who had closed the door, took a deep breath. His whole body was tingling, and his sweat had soaked through to his underwear.

‘The Hong King has achieved a great feat.’

This would be an unparalleled blessing for the Hong King faction, and an unparalleled curse for others. All that remained was to subjugate everyone under the name of the great Hong King.

Great.

Incredibly great.

Cai Kecheng bit his lip slightly as he walked down the hallway.

Did the Hong King know?

That the very act of saying that he was excluding personal feelings was an admission that he had personal feelings towards Kang Jin-ho.

Did he say it knowing that?

It didn’t matter.

The Hong King, who had been like a calm, deep ocean, had now risen. The ripples caused by Kang Jin-ho would now become a violent storm that could no longer be stopped, engulfing the world.

Who would survive in that storm, and who would not?

What was certain was that no matter what the outcome, the martial world would no longer be able to maintain the same peace as in the past.

‘You too, General Assembly.’

And Kang Jin-ho.

Everything up to this point was as expected. There was no way that Japan could stop the General Assembly. It was none other than the Hong King faction that would defeat them.

Cai Kecheng stopped and looked back.

The door leading to the Hong King’s great hall came into his view.

Absolute trust.

But…

‘There can be many kings.’

But there is only one emperor under the heavens.

‘Until then, stay alive a little longer, Kang Jin-ho.’

Because the Hong King will come to cut off your head.

Cai Kecheng, hiding his smile, strode out of the hallway.